Yara: No plan to restart shuttered ammonia plant

Yara International has said it does not plan to re-open its wholly-owned ammonia plant, which was closed in 2019.

President of Clean Ammonia - Yara International, Magnus Ankarstrand, described the plant as one of the smaller ones in Trinidad and Tobago and one of the smallest in its portfolio.

“A full restart of the plant is not in our plans,” Ankarstrand said. He said infrastructure from the plant may be used in part in other plans for development projects and the production of clean ammonia, but these projects are still being discussed.

In 2019, Yara closed its plant in Point Lisas. The plant was one of three owned by Yara with the other two partly owned by Tringen.

Minister of Energy Stuart Young reminded reporters of the age of the plant. Being more than 30 years old, it was one of the first plants built in Point Fortin.

A release in 2019 also said the plant’s yield had an annual production capacity of about 270,000 tonnes of ammonia and had a lower energy efficiency rating than Yara’s average. “It has just outlived its natural usefulness,” Minister Young said.

Young added that the closure of the plant was not a reflection of TT’s energy sector but a reflection of the worldwide outlook which is moving closer to clean and efficient production of energy.

Young said his ministry is now looking at ways to keep TT competitive in the gas sector. He said while TT has a lot of infrastructure and expertise in the energy sector, it has to move fast to not be left behind as the world moves to clean energy.

“We are considering what needs to be done to plants, does it make sense etc. We are competing with shale gas for example and you can see what is taking place in the Arctic and Russia.”

He said the value chain analysis includes speaking to all energy stakeholders in TT. Yara, being one of the largest ammonia producers in the world would be part of that conversation. Ankarstrand said in the long run the most competitive factor is a consistent supply of gas.

“We want to run it at 100 per cent capacity,” he said. “Ammonia plants are not greatly fond of being stopped and started again because of changes to the gas supply.” He said competitiveness on gas prices is important as well, but gas prices go up and down. “Ammonia prices go up and down too, but what I think is the most important in the long term is security of supply."